A SATURDAY SIX Salute To All Recently Closed Attractions (But Mostly Muppet*Vision 3D)

This week’s SATURDAY SIX looks back at one of our all-time favorite theme park attractions: Muppet*Vision 3D. Earlier this month, Muppet*Vision closed along with the rest of the Muppet Courtyard to make way for an upcoming area dedicated to Monsters, Inc. We’ve seen seismic shifts at Walt Disney World before, including the introduction of Arendelle into World Showcase, the removal of The Great Movie Ride in DHS (the overall thesis statement for the entire park,) and the upcoming transition of the Rivers of America to an area based around Pixar’s Cars in – of all places – Frontierland. However some cuts hurt more than others, and for us here at the SAT SIX, the removal of Muppet*Vision 3D is a true gut punch.

There’s a saying along the lines of “Don’t be sad something is over, be happy that it happened,” and while we are certainly glad we got to enjoy Muppet*Vision for 35 glorious years, this one is gonna sting for a bit. There was so much to love about Muppet*Vision that we couldn’t list all the reasons in a year’s worth of articles, but we’re going to look at some of our favorite things about the attraction today, starting with…

# 6 – Movie Parodies

For decades, one thing synonymous with anything related to Jim Henson characters is their kid-friendly parodies and absurdist takes on pop culture, especially movies. Whether its Sesame Street sending up films such as Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, or The Muppets themselves in full blown recreations of movies such as Muppet Treasure Island, the Henson brand loves having fun with established movies. This sense of humor was on full display at Muppet*Vision, including faux movie posters that were added to the extended queue in the early 2000s…

…along with film parodies  displayed on screens in the pre-show area as well.

# 5 – Details in the Queue

Muppet*Vision’s outdoor extended queue, its indoor queue, and the pre-show holding area are loaded with so many incredible details and references that you wouldn’t be able to catch everything even if you experienced the attraction dozens of times. These areas are for the true sickos, and I mean that in the highest honor possible. I mean c’mon, pipes themed to Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street?!!

The “security” office inside featured a rotating cast of Muppet plush, but also a notable sign.

This sign told guests that the “key is under mat.” In pretty much every other theme park attraction, this would just be a quick gag written on a sign. But not Muppet*Vision. NAY NAY. Because if you took a moment to check out the mat below…

…it would reveal a key if rolled back. Just an incredible attention to detail.

Like the plush hanging in the security office, you would often find small changes in the queue whenever you went. The Muppet characters were treated like Cast Members, and even would have the signature Walt Disney World identification tags with their name and where they came from. You’ll notice Kermit’s name tag lists “Leland, MS.” This is where Jim Henson grew up and is the current home of the Jim Henson Exhibit. Miss Piggy’s tag lists “Bogan County, IA.” This is a reference to the original Muppet Movie, and is a fictional place. However, it is at the Bogan County Beauty Pageant where the gang meets Miss Piggy for the first time (and for Kermit, it was love at first sight.)

Generally speaking, when you see an area in a theme park that is loaded with crates and barrels, it means the budget has been cut (we’re looking in your direction Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.) However, the pre-show holding area in Muppet*Vision has a metric ton of jokes, Easter Eggs, and Muppet references throughout the entire area. You have to keep your head on a swivel because there’s stuff EVERYWHERE, including in the rafters.

Of course one of my personal favorites include the iconic “A Net Full Of Jell-O” (a fun visual pun on the name of actress and Disney Legend Annette Funicello.)

What’s pretty amazing about the room is that there’s almost no explanation for any of the gags, or anyone involved in the show calling attention to them. They are for guests to discover on their own.

The plaque states that Kermit the Frog wore this tuxedo during the telethon to save the Muppet Theater in The Muppets (2011).

That belongs in a museum!” – Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

As a lifelong Star Wars and Star Trek fan, my favorite skits from the old Muppet Show were the ones using Pigs in Space, so  you can imagine how much I enjoyed seeing a model of their Swinetrek ship hanging above.

Maybe the greatest item in the entire building was this Muppet version of Jim Henson himself.

I’ve always considered the queue videos for The Simpsons Ride to be the best in any theme park (including the amazing backstory of how Doc Brown lost the Institute of Future Technology to Krusty the Clown) but Muppet*Vision’s pre-show videos are right up there as well. The patented Muppet humor is on display in every segment, including one where we are introduced to the “Three Ds,” a singing group who were deemed ideal for a 3D movie…

Rizzo the rat’s appearance as Mickey Mouse is one for the ages, especially when he straight up says that tourists wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

There are pre-show experiences at the parks where it seems like time stands still, and then there are pre-show areas like Muppet*Vision where they keep guests of all ages entertained the entire time.

# 4 – Quotes

Will you stop this foolishness?!” – Sam the Eagle

What foolishness would you like to see?” – Gonzo

Many theme park attractions are filled with quotable lines (in fact, the guests who deem it necessary to recite along with the Ghost Host at the Haunted Mansion is one of our Theme Park Pet Peeves) but Muppet*Vision stands alone in my book as the best because it’s not only incredible during the actual attraction, but many things are stuff you can also take home and use in everyday life with your friends and family. The title of this very article references one of my favorite moments of Muppet*Vision…

…we’ve also got a big musical finale from Sam Eagle. Sam, what’s it about?” – Kermit

It’s called “A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America.” – Sam

For many, this iconic exchange between Kermit the Frog and Sam Eagle exemplifies everything that is great about Muppet*Vision. Not only is the joke funny, but it connects hard with anyone who has worked on a creative project and had to change it for reasons outside of their control.

Sam, are you ready with that finale?” – Kermit
It’s a glorious three-hour finale!” – Sam Eagle
You got a minute and a half.” – Kermit

There are so many moments throughout Muppet*Vision that are just truly surreal to see play out in front of a theme park audience.

Hey, hey — hey, look! Look at the guy in the Goofy mask! – Statler

That’s not a mask.” – Waldorf

Oh. Sorry, lady!” – Statler

In fact, this fine blog series has used variations of Kermit’s line below in several articles over the past decade. I just love it!

We invited some of the most distinguished scientists to come and work here. Unfortunately, none of them showed up.” – Kermit

For me personally, I love it when forms of entertainment have the courage to make fun of themselves, and the wonderfully sharp edged jokes by Statler and Waldorf really compliment that warmness and sincerity that you see throughout the rest of the show.

Oh, no, not you guys. How’d you get here? – Fozzie the Bear

“We entered a contest.” – Statler

“Yeah. We lost!” – Waldorf

# 3 – “Cheap 3D Tricks”

One of the most iconic lines of Muppet*Vision was them having fun at the expense of 3D itself.

It’s going to be a swell demonstration, and at no time will we be stooping to any cheap 3D tricks.” – Kermit
[Fozzie Bear enters]
Did you say “cheap 3D tricks?” – Fozzie

The vast majority of ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD which promotes “3D” is just unnecessary tacking on 3D elements to something that wasn’t part of the development of the project. Because of that fact, the 3D used is invariably underwhelming if not a straight up nuisance. It wasn’t that long ago that Hollywood tried to force movie goers into watching crappy 3D releases of their movies, only to be rejected time and time again. The television industry tried to take advantage of the success of James Cameron’s movie Avatar (one of the rare films made with 3D in mind and the added depth truly makes the film experience better) to try and jumpstart a revolution of 3D TVs at home that was one of the biggest technological flops this side of Google Glasses and the ESPN phone.

Muppet*Vision incorporates the very concept of 3D into absolutely everything. There are references to 3D throughout the queue experience and you’ll see 3D glasses included on things like this next level bonkers logo for the attraction.

Muppet*Vision embraced being in 3D like no other attraction before it (and, unfortunately, any attractions since.) It used state of the art effects that held up for over three decades. There are very few things made in the entertainment world that heavily use the technology available at the time that don’t seem extremely dated a decade later. Some examples of things that have stood the test of time are the Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Park, and Terminator 2. I would put Muppet*Vision 3D in that rarified air.

Let’s take a quick look at how Muppet*Vision goes beyond what traditional 3D movies do in order to provide an incredible experience for guests. Below is a piece of official art from Disney that shows one of the “cheap 3D gimmicks” that the Muppets make fun of during the show. Fozzie uses a remote control banana crème pie that appears to come out in front of the audience with a 3D effect (and you’ll always see little kids in the audience reach out to try and grab the pie.) However, there is much more to this scene…

The scene continues with the remote control malfunctioning and the pie coming back to hit Fozzie directly in the Fozzie. In a fun piece of dialogue, Kermit comments “Fozzie, that’s terrible.” This is referencing that we just experienced another failed 3D experience in the show. Fozzie’s response? He tastes the pie and comments, “You’re right…needs more sugar.” Overall it’s a great bit that works for every age in the audience between the physical comedy and world play. However, Muppet*Vision had already planted seeds for this joke earlier in the queue where you can see an entire barrel for Fozzie’s crème pies!

Now for a bit of RUMORS AND INNUENDO. A person working for the injection molding company that manufactured the 3D glasses for Muppet*Vision explained that three different colored versions of the attraction’s 3D glasses were created over the years. The purple version was created to match the Disney original character Figment. The green version matched the same color of green as Kermit the Frog. The original sponsor of the Muppet*Vision was the film company Kodak, and they were not happy with the green version of the 3D glasses as they felt it reflected the logo color of their competition, Fuji Film (whose logo was a completely different shade of green.) A gold version of the glasses was made to represent Kodak, but eventually Disney went back to purple.

# 2 – Characters OUTSIDE of the Film

One of the most amazing aspects of Muppet*Vision is how much there is going on in the theater outside of the actual 3D movie that you are watching. There are animatronic penguins in the orchestra pit…

…along with my two personal favorite Muppets, Statler and Waldorf, commenting from a balcony above.

Several years back, Disney added the projection of Waldo onto the theater walls.

How many guests had their minds completely blown when the character of Sweetums went straight from the screen they were watching to an actual Muppet walking in the theater?!

Even better? Sweetums interacted with the audience – and the characters in the film – when looking for the character of Bean Bunny (who was an audio animatronic located in another balcony in the theater.) Now, back in 2024 a lot of press went toward the film Megaopolis that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In several screenings of that movie, an actual human being in the theater interacted with a character on the screen. How could this been seen as “ground breaking” when Muppet*Vision fans have seen the exact same thing – except done much better – for over 30 years?! I’m gonna cut Francis Ford Coppola some slack because he also directed Captain EO – another one of my first ballot Hall of Fame WDW attractions – but maybe Megaopolis would have been a better movie if he cast Kermit the Frog instead of Adam Driver (and that’s obviously a rhetorical question because there’s no “maybe” about it…its an “obviously.”

Later, our orchestra penguins end up getting into battle with another character in the theater…

…the Swedish Chef!!

Even crazier, this battle works into the story of Muppet*Vision as we have Kermit on a fire truck coming through the “hole in the building” that occurred during the battle we just watched take place. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Jut an incredible finish to the the show.

Years from now, when we explain to younger theme park fans what Muppet*Vision 3D was like they will look at us like we have three heads. There is no way any theme park would put this much TLC and creative effort into something that kids can enjoy. These days, if something is created that caters to a younger audience, it is built with the motto “when you care enough to do the very least.” Kiddos also get quickly thrown together dance parties and playgrounds, but they deserve better, and the theme park world needs more Muppet*Vision 3Ds, not less.

# 1 – Inspiration to Others

Good creative works of art entertain, but great creative works of art inspire. To give a personal example…I’m not the biggest fan of musical theater, but when I watched the Broadway play Hamilton on Disney+, I wanted to immediately make something myself. Seeing something so original and expertly crafted got my creative juices flowing. Muppet*Vision was one of those rare attractions that made a true impact on people, and many talented people have been able to express their appreciation through art. One of my favorite pieces created for Alicia Stella’s amazing STOP HATE fundraiser this year featured Ava Buric‘s love letter to Muppet*Vision 3D.

Like the attraction itself, Ava’s drawing is loaded with references to Muppet*Vision. See how many you can spot in just this small sampling of the art! Be sure to check out THIS THREAD by Ava that goes over many of the wonderful details in the artwork.

How fantastic is this piece by @imaginaticart featuring Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker? Make sure to note the amazing small print at the end.

I am personally so jealous of the artists who can do pieces that remind me of theme park maps, like this fantastic Muppet Courtyard drawing by Bryan Bindman…

…and this Muppet Studios Tour map by @TheHorizoneer. Just brilliant work.

Artist Henry Taylor of the Theme Park Preservation Society specializes in creating real life items of things that don’t actually exist, and this Muppet*Vision 3D lobby card is just out of this world good.

Even better might be this piece by Henry… “In the late 1970s Sam Eagle released a series of educational materials aimed at inspiring the next generation of patriots. They were not a success. Now it’s yours to own in this lovely matted, framed display.” CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING THIS TALENTED?!!!

The characters of Bean Bunny and Waldo play important parts in Muppet*Vision, and good ol’ SonderQuest has immortalized them in this cute drawing.

Our favorite tiny artist – Jaime S – drew the entire skyline of Muppet Courtyard, including the facade for Muppet*Vision 3D.

Loving this “salute to all attractions but mostly a midcentury styled Muppet*Vision 3D” by @TheHorizoneer.

This piece by Jess Feldman featuring Gonzo being lifted high by balloons featuring characters of Muppet*Vision. Like everything The Muppets have been involved in themselves, this singular piece of art is filled with tenderness and love.

No one does faux ads better than Skipper Hoss, and this one featuring the Muppet Theater (and filled with Muppet*Vision references) is one of my favorite pieces he’s ever done.

Regular readers of the SAT SIX know I can’t get enough of @TheHorizoneer‘s LEGO creations, and this one featuring Statler and Waldor raising their white flags from Muppet*Vision is ::chef’s kiss::

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words. I’ll argue that great artwork is worth a lot more than that, and this piece by /zippyboro brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.

Honorable Mention – DID YOU KNOW

Muppet*Vision 3D was Jim Henson’s last project. For many people – including myself – Jim Henson was effectively “our” Walt Disney in terms of developing entertainment that we grew up on as kids and learned to appreciate in a whole new way as we got older. I learned about the power of things like imagination, empathy, and kindness from watching Sesame Street. I can sing every song from Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas by heart. But the biggest impact for me overall was The Muppets. When I was younger, I laughed at the goofiness of the characters, but over the years I began to appreciate even more the artistry involved behind something comedic that can have equal appeal to both kids and adults. Combining the Muppets and theme parks (such as when The Muppets went to Walt Disney World) creates something magical. Muppet*Vision 3D was just about the perfect theme park attraction in that it keeps everyone in the family engaged from the minute they step into the building until the show is over. It had repeatability not just for all the gags and jokes you stumble upon, even after dozens of times experiencing, but also the most quotable attraction ever made.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: Mickey’s cameo at the end of Muppet*Vision 3D was the character’s computer animation debut!

So there you have it: A SATURDAY SIX Salute to all recently closed attractions, but mostly Muppet*Vision 3D! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out the THEME PARK ENJOYMENT INDEX, giving a monthly recap of all the theme park news you need to know (and a lot more you don’t need to know, but we’re gonna tell you anyway). You can also follow Your Humble Author on BlueSky (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

Theme Park Turkeys of the Year Archives

The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates 10 Years of @bioreconstruct

SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Josh easyWDW

SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Ian Barritt

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, Digital Maestro Scott Walker, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, artist @SonderQuest, the mighty maven of merchandise Hedgehog’s Corner, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, the permit princess Alicia Stella, master cartographer Tommy Hawkins, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Absolutely no help was added by SeaWorld Influencer @SuperWeenieHtJr. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHide and you Potterheads will enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

*Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Rivers of America, and Tom Sawyer island were also recently announced with closing dates.